What will constitute a pleasant and musical experience when you hear a pianist play? The outcome probably depends on the person you ask but personally I think that these things at least influence my feelings:

1. The musical content of the performance. The way the pianist conveys the composer's and his own feelings in the piece of music.

2. The agility of the performer. Is the pianist playing with ease showing that he or she has mastered the piece of music and can convey self confidence that makes me feel at ease.

3. The facial expression of the performer. Is he happy, tense, enjoying his playing?

4. Is the performer relaxed? If he is tense I will probably not be able to relax and will not be enjoying the performance the way I could have.

If you want to become a pianist that performs piano music in a musical way, that plays with agility and self confidence, that can smile or express feelings with facial expressions and relax while performing at peak level you also know how to practice.

Here are some tips to help you become a better piano performer:

Build a small or big repertoire with piano pieces that you are prepared to play in front of other people. The amount of pieces in your repertoire depends on the practice time at your disposal. The important thing is to really commit the pieces you choose to your long term memory.

As you practice the musical passages of a piece of music remember to practice the way you would like to play the piece in front of an audience. This means:

1. Create music as you practice. To convey the composers musical ideas in your playing is not something that should be spared until you perform the piece in front of an audience. As you practice the various musical passages that will eventually become a piece of music that you have mastered it is a good thing to practice both to play the notes accurately but also to practice the musical interpretation. Everything you practice or not practice will have an impact on your actual public performance.

2. Relax as you play. It is not easy to relax in front of other people as you are trying to play a piece of music if you have not practiced the piano composition in this manner. The art of relaxing your body is something you also can practice away from the piano. When you practice your piece of piano music at the initial stages it is important to play slowly enough to have control of the tension level in your hands, arms and the rest of your body.

3. Enjoy you playing and let your face enforce the music. Hopefully you have positive feelings towards the music you play, otherwise it might be a good idea to choose other music to play, if you have the option, that will give you a fair chance to play with a positive attitude. In a performing situation your facial expressions will influence the listening experience for the audience. This makes for involving you facial expressions in your piano practicing sessions as well.

The conclusion is that things connected with your piano practicing probably will be evoked as you play in front of an audience. You can use your piano practice sessions to practice joy, self confidence, relaxation and a happy face at the same time as you practice becoming a great pianist!